Common Sense... Aisle 5!
An actual conversation between a total stranger (we'll call her Lady X,) and myself at a recent trip to Target:
Lady X: "Oh, she's so cute, did you get her in china?"
Me: "Ruby was born in China, yes... and then I adopted her."
Lady X: "Wow, how much did that cost?"
Me: *smiling* "Why do you want to know?"
Lady X: *embarassed look on face* "Oh well, she's cute anyway, what's her name?"
Me: "I just told you her name, it's Ruby..."
Lady X: "Oh, no I mean what's her real name, her chinese one?"
Me: "Her real name is Ruby. Her chinese name was Fu Pei Mu..."
Lady X: "So does she have your last name?"
Me: (No, she has yours, DIPSHIT) "Yes, she's my daughter, of course she has my last name..."
Lady X: "Oh... well do you even know what it means?"
Me: "Well, do you know what your last name means?"
Lady X: "No, I meant her chinese one..."
Me: "Yes I do know what it means. I'm sorry but I didn't get your name?"
Lady X: (insert really cheezy white trash name here)
Me: *smiling* "Well, 'cheezy white trash lady', Ruby's chinese name means an admired peony tree/flower."
Lady X: "Well, what the heck is that supposed to mean?"
Me: *smiling* "Does it really make a difference to you?"
Lady X: "Sorry, I was just asking... So, does she speak Chinese?"
Me: "Ruby is only 16 months old, do YOU think she speaks Chinese?"
Lady X: (looking dazed & confused) Uh, I dunno, does she?
Me: *beginning a 'glare' at this point* She can understand both English & Italian & speaks a few words in English, she's still a baby & still learning."
Lady X: "So, she doesn't speak any Chinese then?"
Me: "No, Ruby does not speak Chinese, do YOU?"
Lady X: "No, why would I speak Chinese?"
Me: *definately glaring now* "Well, why would Ruby? "
Lady X: (sensing that I'm about one stupid question away from popping her in her BIG ASS NOSE) "Oh, well, she's really cute anyways, bye..."
Me: "Thank you, I know. Goodbye."
SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY!
Maybe Target should dedicate ONE WHOLE AISLE TO COMMON SENSE! I mean, their prices are GREAT, and EVERYONE LOVES THEIR STORE so perhaps if the white trash IDIOTS of the world had access to LOTS OF COMMON SENSE RIGHT AT THEIR FINGERTIPS (complete with lee press on nails in flaming whore red) THEN PEOPLE LIKE ME WOULDN'T HAVE TO ENDURE THE ENDLESS QUESTIONS FROM THE IDIOT PARADE!
Rather than answer ANY of her questions, I could've just smiled & said " You want Aisle 5 for that... " and been on my MERRY WAY!
No lie, people like that actually live & breath & (sad to say) shop at my TARGET! *rolling eyes* Can't they just all go to WalMart & leave us Target'ers alone? GOOD LORD!
GOD HELP ME & SAVE ME FROM THE STUPIDITY OF OTHERS!
I need a steaming hot cup of tea & a sugar cookie... anyone else?
10 comments:
Sure, I'll have a cup of tea and a cookie with you. After reading that post, I need it. I wonder...do people KNOW that they're that ignorant? Do they realize that even if you're thinking assinine things, you shouldn't actually SAY them?
I'm sorry you had to tolerate this B.S.
Kim
"Flaming whore red" fingernail polish? BA HA HA! I just spit lemonade through my nose...damn, that burns but it was so worth it for that big a$$ laugh...sorry, chickie...idiots abound, even at Wally World.
Enjoy your tea and cookies...
~Karen
WOW! That moron just wouldn't let up. We've been asked the "how much did she cost?" question, but never by anyone sooooo pushy. It just amazes me how many people seem as if they've never encountered or heard of int'l adoption before. HUH? Where do these cave dwellers live anyway?
Don't you just want to ask if she has kids & how much her hospital bill was? GRRRRRR!
Tammy
Ah, you have patience of a saint because I would have told her off when she asked how much the adoption cost!!! You go girl with your cup of tea and cookie...
Next time just play along - just for kicks... Does she speak Chinese - you can say "why yes, fluently" How much did it cost "oh my, you can't count that high". And my personal fave: Did you get her in China, the response would be "yep, I picked her up on my last business trip"
:-)
Amy-
I think you need to pass out a little card to people that says yes she is adopted from china just tell me she is cute and then bug off!! People are such idiots!!
Lisa
I work with the general public - NEVER under estimate their stupdity and lack of tact ( I'm sure Jen will back me on this one). I also COMPLETELY understand the frustration of being asked the SAME QUESTIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!! ( i.e Do they (insert animal here - stringray, turtle, sea lion, dolphin) bite? No wait - no one thinks a dolphin coule EVER possibly bite! grrrrr, Can I touch them? Oh, we Can't touch them?, How old are they? How big are they? etc.)
That having been said, if I could just play devil's advocate...
" Did you get her in China?" ...Did you GO to China to get here? - as opposed to her being sent to America - some countries do that, or she could have already been in residence. I didn't know anything about this process either 'til you started it.
" How much did that cost?" ...If you have nevre known anyone who has adopted internationall - you would have no idea what the cost is and might be interested in looking into it , or know someone who might, if you knew a ballpark figure.
" Does she speak Chinese?" ..Children start to speak at differeft rates - as you know better than most, without knowing how old Ruby is, or how long she has been in America, or what her language development is - she might very well have begun to speak a few Chinese words and could still be speaking them. If someone were to speak Chinese to Ruby now - she would probably still understand the language.
Now - all that having been said, I agree that this woman was COMPLETELY pushy and ignorant. But, you may already be a bit sensitive to stupid, tactless comments and that might cause you to overreact in the future.
Just my 2 cents.
Give Ruby kisses for me.
<3 " Aunt" Catherine
I dread this. You handled it beautifully.
I'd also like to know why this always seems to happen in Target. I'm not kidding, I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about some assface making stupid comments in Target.
Yes please, I'd love some tea and cookies. And kudos to you for keeping your sanity during that Jerry Springeresque exchange. I'd have sputtered, turned red (beet red, not flaming whore red), and probably embarrassed the heck out of myself.
Excellent! Of course, I can see you as the person to stand your ground and slowly drive her backwards with her idiocy.
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